From George Bentham [after 12 July 1877]1
My dear Mr Darwin
My impression is certainly ⟨1 word missing⟩ strong that plants with a smooth glauc⟨ous⟩ epidermis to their foliage and branches are chiefly prevalent in hot dry situations— in the Mediterranean region in Australia in South Africa in the dry parts of Mexico—in plants that grow in exposed rocky sunny situations—in apricis et maritimis—and are rare in moist climates in rich soils—2 The Eucalypti and Phyllodineus3Acacias of Australia the Mexican Cacti the Mediterranean Caryophylleae e.g. Gypsophila and Cruciferae4 and many others show a large proportion of glaucous plants, but the case may ⟨2 or 3 words missing⟩ ⟨w⟩ith the fugacious bloom ⟨1 or 2 words missing⟩ ⟨ ⟩ch as plums grapes etc Olive⟨r⟩5 tells me that this bloom has been the subject of researches of some of the German physiologists and refers me to de Barys elaborate paper in Mohl’s Botanische Zeitung 1871, 128, 145, 161, 566, 593 589, 605—but this you are probably acquainted with.6
It has always appeared to me that similar hot exposed situtations tend to the development of rigid hairs and cottony wool—much more abundant in species or varieties belonging to such situations than in those grown in moist rich ones
Yours very sincerely | George Bentham
Footnotes
Bibliography
Bary, Anton de. 1871. Ueber die Wachsüberzüge der Epidermis. Botanische Zeitung 29: 128–39, 145–54, 161–76, 566–71, 573–85, 589–600, 605–16.
OED: The Oxford English dictionary. Being a corrected re-issue with an introduction, supplement and bibliography of a new English dictionary. Edited by James A. H. Murray, et al. 12 vols. and supplement. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1970. A supplement to the Oxford English dictionary. 4 vols. Edited by R. W. Burchfield. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1972–86. The Oxford English dictionary. 2d edition. 20 vols. Prepared by J. A. Simpson and E. S. C. Weiner. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1989. Oxford English dictionary additional series. 3 vols. Edited by John Simpson et al. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1993–7.
Summary
Answers CD’s query on "bloom".
Letter details
- Letter no.
- DCP-LETT-11051
- From
- George Bentham
- To
- Charles Robert Darwin
- Sent from
- unstated
- Source of text
- DAR 160: 169
- Physical description
- ALS 2pp damaged
Please cite as
Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 11051,” accessed on 19 October 2024, https://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/letter/?docId=letters/DCP-LETT-11051.xml